Surah al-Furqan (The Criterion ) 25 : 45

Overview (Verses 45 - 49)

Moving Shadows, Still Night

Do you not see how your Lord causes the shadow to lengthen when, had He so willed, He could have indeed made it stand still? But then We have made the sun its guide. And then, little by little, We draw it in towards Ourselves. (Verses 45-46)

This image of shadow and shade imparts to a troubled and tired soul a feeling of comfort, relaxation and security, as if it is a gentle, compassionate hand that wipes away pain and worry, giving comfort and energy. is this God’s purpose as He directs the Prophet, who has suffered the unbelievers’ ridicule and opposition, to contemplate the shadow? In the tough battle the Prophet went through in Makkah, facing determined opposition and wicked scheming, his soul must have felt the burden too heavy, with only a small number of believers supporting him against the overwhelming majority of unbelievers. Not only so, but he was not then even allowed to retaliate against physical aggression or repel hostile ridicule. In this troubled atmosphere passages of the Qur’ān were revealed to Muhammad (peace be upon him) to serve as a healing balsam, a relaxing shade and kind blessing. It provided him with support in the midst of determined denial and opposition. Shade, particularly when considered against a hot desert background, gives an image that is in complete harmony with the whole atmosphere of the sūrah that is full of compassion and blessings.

The sūrah shows the shadow as being gently stretched by God’s hand before it then contracts: “Do you not see how your Lord causes the shadow to lengthen?” (Verse 45) Some time later, “little by little, We draw it in towards Ourselves.” (Verse 46) The shadow is a faint darkness made by the sun’s rebounding rays. It moves along with the movement of the earth in relation to the sun, changing its position, length and shape. The sun points it with its light and heat, determining its area and length. When we follow how the shadow changes shape and extent, we experience a feeling of comfort and are gently alerted to the fact that it is an aspect of God’s work.

When the sun starts its decline, we see the shadows lengthen and further lengthen. Suddenly all shadows disappear as the sun sets. Where have all the shadows gone? God’s unseen hand has collected them all as the deep darkness of the night gathers and spreads over our world. This is all the work of God’s able hand which humans fail to see, but which continues without fail.

“Had He so willed, He could have indeed made it stand still?” (Verse 45) The way the visible universe and solar system are made makes the shadow move in the gentle way it does. Had the system been even slightly different, this would have had a different effect on the shadow. Had the earth been motionless, the shadow cast over it would have stood still, neither extending nor shrinking. On the other hand, if the earth’s movement had been faster or slower, the extension and shrinking of the shadow would have been proportionately slower or faster. It is the way the universe is made, with its operative laws, that gives the shadow its specific features.

The highlighting of this phenomenon, which we see every day without paying much attention to it, is part of the Qur’ānic method of making our consciousness interact with the universe so as to respond to aspects that we tend to ignore because of their familiarity. We only need to contemplate the countless marvels around us for our thoughts to move in the right direction.

Moving on, the sūrah highlights an image of the night, its stillness and peaceful slumber, contrasted with the day and its bustling movement. “He it is who makes the night a garment for you, and sleep a repose. He makes every day a resurrection.” (Verse 47)

The night spreads its cover over animate and inanimate objects so as to make the world appear as though it wears the blackness of the night. Hence, the night is described as a garment. At night, movement stops and footsteps cease to allow people and most animals, birds and insects to sleep. Sleep is a cessation of sensation, consciousness and feeling, which is why it is described as ‘repose’. Then the dawn starts to breathe and movement begins. Life is thus resumed. Hence, the day is a new ‘resurrection’ after a short mini-death. The two alternate with every daily cycle of the earth. Again this phenomenon is ignored by human beings, but it is indicative of the great design of the universe made by God, who never sleeps or overlooks anything.

The sūrah highlights another universal phenomenon that is closely related to life:

And He it is who sends forth the winds as heralds of His coming grace. And We cause pure water to descend from the skies, so that with it We may bring dead land to life and give drink to a countless number of Our creation, beasts as well as human. (Verses 48-49)

All life on earth depends on rain water, either directly, or through the rivers and other water courses, springs, wells and underground reservoirs it supplies. Only those who directly depend on rain for their living properly appreciate God’s grace as He sends rain. They look forward to rain, full of hope, realizing that it brings them life. They look for wind, which they know to drive the clouds. Hence, they realize that the wind is an early indicator, announcing the forthcoming act of God’s grace, provided that they believe in God.

It is important to look at the last two verses very carefully: “We cause pure water to descend from the skies.” (Verse 48) We note how the concept of purity and purification points to the life brought about by rain: “so that with it We may bring dead land to life and give drink to a countless number of Our creation, beasts as well as human.” (Verse 49) Thus, life is given an added aspect of purity, because God wants human life, and indeed all life on earth, to be pure of evil. Thus, He washes the face of the earth with pure water that brings life to an otherwise dead land, and which also serves as a pure drink for all creatures.